Dan Kolbert of Portland argues that, rather than trying to keep people out of this country, we should welcome them (“Maine Voices: No walls are high enough to keep out people desperate for a safe place,” July 14). He argues that new forms of housing need less energy than traditional homes, and that new children would “boost shrinking school enrollments.”

However, it only makes sense to present both sides of the story. Perhaps more children would boost shrinking school enrollments, but children who do not speak English cost more to teach. Recall that Gorham voters recently rejected their school budget over the high cost to taxpayers.

It may be possible to house up to 600 asylum seekers in Unity, but, according to Morning Sentinel reporting, “no funding source has, so far, been identified for the approximately $10 million that would be needed.”

In The Atlantic, Annie Lowrey writes: “The cost of benefits for older Americans has nearly doubled in the past decade. Social Security and Medicare are now spending $500 billion more a year than they are taking in via their dedicated tax funding streams; the two programs are anticipated to exhaust their trust funds in eight to 10 years, give or take.”

Children of immigrants would cost more to teach; the money to house immigrants in Unity has not been found, and adult immigrants who are not working have not paid in to Social Security. Mr. Kolbert should tell us not just the benefits but also the price tag of his proposals.

William Vaughan Jr.
Chebeague Island

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